Chrom's New Shepherds
by xZealHakune
Summary: When the Fell Dragon resurfaced on the continent of Ylisse ten years ago, all hope was lost. The Halidom of Ylisse struggles to protect their nation as Grima's army continues to appear in their land and attack villages. But when all looks hopeless, Lucina, Owain, and Cynthia decide to fight against a dreary fate because maybe hope isn't extinct after all. Bad Future Timeline!Fic
1. Hope

**Chrom's New Shepherds- Chapter One: Hope**

In this world, a thing such as hope had gone extinct.

Which is why a young man, no older than the age of 17, merely sighed as the smell of burning wood reached his nostrils. So, the Risen had finally attacked their small village? Well at least since he was going to die, he wouldn't have to finish delivering this wood.

Screams echoed across the village as he loosened his grip on the wheelbarrow of wood he was carrying and walked in the opposite direction of where the screams had come from. He moved at a gentle pace, ignoring the civilians who rushed past him in the same direction, looking for safety. If someone had attempted to warn him to move faster because the Risen were coming, he didn't hear as he continued his slow pace northwards.

The pathway in front of him was illuminated by the blazing flames roaring behind him, creeping closer and closer as it got hotter and hotter. He wondered if it would be the Risen or the sweltering flames that ended him.

A body slammed into a house near the young man, and he snuck a glance to see if the person was still moving. They weren't.

Any semblance of hope to live had long been drained from him. The constant fear and terror that came with the possibility of Risen attacking their small village had consumed him when his parents had passed away while trying to foster trade with neighboring villages.

He just wished that he would be able to see his parents in the afterlife, if there was one, but he wasn't sure there was one anymore. Prophets claimed that Naga allowed those who did good to ascend to heaven after death, but his belief in Naga was non-existent. It was hard to believe in a god who failed to protect them. If Naga was still out there, she had long left humans to their own devices, failing to protect them, or she found pleasure in their demise. Either possibility was not something that he appreciated.

The screams in the air played like a symphony of chaos in his head as the stomping of feet get closer and closer to him. He wondered if this is what his parents had seen the day they had died? What had they been doing that day? Running for their lives? Fighting till their last breath? Or awaiting the sweet release of death like he was?

He swallowed, something he found difficult to do thanks to the lump in his throat, and he shook his head to banish the thoughts and the tears welling up. It didn't matter. Because in a world where the Fell Dragon ruled, nothing mattered because if it existed, it would only be a matter of time before it was destroyed because the Fell Dragon had willed it so.

A rush of movement alerted him to somebody, or someone, behind him, and the young man dared a glance. And what he saw made him freeze in terror. Whatever that _thing_ was couldn't be described as human. It had a humanoid figure, but its entire body was a pitch-black color, and its head was covered with a mask that left it with a deformed, lip-less mouth, and glowing red eyes which sent chills through the young man.

Using the sword in its hand, the Risen swiped across the chest of a man who didn't look to be more than a few years older than him. The man's blood splattered onto the Risen as his death throes pierced the air, but if the Risen had any sort of conscience, it didn't seem to care as it's head eerily turned towards the young man's direction.

It inched towards him and widened its cracked mouth to release a growl as its sword dragged across the ground. Blood from the man and the Risen's other victims dripped from the blade's edge, but the young man could only watch. He was frozen in place.

Memories of his parents and his earlier childhood flooded into his mind. The time he had finally been able to help his mother in the kitchen and the smile on her face when they finally finished the food. The smile on his father's face when he had decided that he would help at his workplace. The final farewell he had said to his parents as they left the village for the final time, never to return.

The Risen's sword reeled back.

The young man found his tears free falling as he closed his eyes tight. He had accepted the fact that he was trying to die months ago. He had lost any hope for a peaceful future after his parents had died. He wished for nothing more than to die and leave the abysmal world he called home.

So why? Why in this moment did he suddenly have an overwhelming desire to live?

A sob escaped his lips as the Risen slashed forward, and the man awaited his demise. But it never came as the sound of metal clashing rang from in front of him. His eyes peered open to see a mysterious warrior with short blue hair wielding a strange sword he had never seen before.

**Lucina**

Catching the Risen's blade with her own, Lucina sighed in relief that she had managed to save somebody from being torn asunder. She pushed forward to send the monster stumbling backwards, ending the sword lock she was in, and turned back to the young man behind her. He had to be around her age, probably a year of so younger, but a look of horror was washed over his face.

The young man's horrified face revealed he was weary and tired from constant dread, and Lucina had seen this demeanor many times before. It was another person who had lost their hopes and dreams amid a bleak world.

"I understand the fear you must be feeling, but now isn't the time to grovel. Please evacuate the village," Lucina said as she adjusted the mask on her face. She was relieved to find that the blue butterfly mask hadn't fallen off after her mad dash to get over here on time.

Lucina returned her attention to the Risen who was rushing at her once more. She lowered into the stance her father had taught her so long ago. Standing tall, the Falchion hilt held near her left shoulder with the blade pointed downwards. Even mid-battle the stance reminded her of the days she had trained with father and that was something that never failed to calm her nerves during a battle.

Sword held high, the Risen slashed downwards but Lucina countered with a downward strike of her own to disarm it. She followed with a quick thrust of the Falchion, piercing the monster's neck. It gave a gurgling roar as greenish, murky blood spilled from its neck and the red glow in its eyes vanished. Its body slumped against the Falchion lifeless. Lucina pulled the Falchion free and flailed her sword to wipe off the murky blood that had spilled onto her blade.

Hearing the young man behind her gasp, she turned around with a frown.

"Young man," she began. Gods that felt weird to say considering that she was only a year older than him at most. "I can take care of myself, you must hurry and evacuate the village while we take care of the Risen."

The young man stared at her his mouth hanging agape. "Who are you?"

Lucina couldn't help the smile that crept on her face as she answered while adjusting her butterfly mask, "Marth." And with that, she turned around to survey the area for more Risen.

By this point, most villagers had escaped, so now the Risen were stumbling around the town aimlessly destroying any obstacle that blocked their path. Lucina wondered whether the Risen could think. I was always strange how they acted, sometimes they simply destroyed and destroyed as if that was the only thing they had known, and other times -Lucina watched as another Risen stomped towards her - they acted intelligent enough to realize a threat when they saw one.

There were only a small amount of Risen remaining, and Lucina gave a silent prayer to Naga. That meant that she wouldn't have to resort to her backup plan of providing the villagers with weapons to protect themselves in case the number of Risen were overwhelming.

Taking the initiative, Lucina dashed towards the nearest Risen to her and ducked a swipe of its sword. Using the momentum of her run, she swung forward and dug her blade into its chest, making roar before it in pain before it fell to the ground dead.

Strangely enough, the Risen in the area stopped their aimless destruction before turning their beady eyes on Lucina and stumbling towards her.

A smirk crossed Lucina's lips as she pierced the stomach of another risen and watched as it fell to the ground dead as well. It was too bad risen weren't intelligent enough to run away, but then again it meant that she wouldn't have to worry about any of them escaping and seeking destruction elsewhere.

Another Risen stumbled towards her and Lucina entered her stance ready to strike, but it suddenly jerked forward as if it were struck from behind and fell to the ground.

"Quench your thirst!" A young, blond male wearing loose, yellow clothing appeared behind the Risen's lifeless body and struck a strange pose as he clutched his wrist as if it were pain. A katana was gripped in his hands.

Lucina wasn't surprised to see Owain speaking to his sword hand as it was a sentient creature. She smiled at her cousin's antics, but she quickly steeled herself; her cousin's dramatic tendencies could wait. "Owain, there's only a handful of Risen left."

Owain's tightened his grip on his hand "Forgive me Lucina, my sword hand is consuming me." And he darted off to fight another Risen, roaring as he cut into it. Lucina chuckled before refocusing on the fight.

Lucina narrowly sidestepped the club of a Risen that had charged straight forward towards her and used her Falchion to parry an axe blow from another; she managed to just barely stop the axe from cutting into her stomach.

It was two against one, but she wasn't worried. She pushed her blade forward against the axe, sending the Risen to backwards a few steps, and taking advantage of its newfound loss of balance, she cut across its exposed torso. She barely managed to jump backwards to avoid the other Risen's club swing.

The axe-wielding Risen fell back with a groan, but the club-wielding one quickly closed the distance her jump had created as she landed on the ground. It reeled the club backwards, preparing to slam into her at full force. Lucina sloppily braced herself for the heavy attack; she wasn't going to be able to pull her sword up quick enough to fully block the blow. The club's collision course, however, was deflected by a katana as Owain stepped between them. "Sacred Stones!" Owain held his katana in reverse grip and darted across the Risen exposed side, cutting deeply into it in a spray of murky blood.

"Hah!" Lucina jumped forward with her sword held high and cut down and dug the Falchion into the Risen's shoulder. It gave one agonizing roar before it dropped.

Lucina wiped a mixture of sweat and Risen blood off her brow as she sheathed her sword and exhaled in exhaustion. A smile graced her lips as she turned towards Owain. "Thank you for the-"

Owain cut her off as he darted to push her out of the way, "Lucina watch out!"

It was only now that Lucina had become aware of the approaching footsteps coming from behind her. She cursed at how vulnerable she had left herself as she turned and tried to unsheathe her Falchion to block and incoming drive from a Risen's sword, but she realized she wouldn't make it.

"Leave my sister alone!" the familiar cry came from above. Riding on a Pegasus, whose pristine white feathers were stained with Risen blood, was a young girl with brown hair. She wore silver armor and carried a spear in her hands,

The Pegasus flew towards the Risen in what Lucina could only describe as majestic aggression, and the girl used the spear gripped in her hands to pierce the its abdomen, stopping the attack from reaching Lucina. The girl pulled the lance out before stabbing the Risen once more in a frenzied rage.

"Owain, this hero arrives last thing sucks!" Cynthia said as she directed her Pegasus to land near them. She dropped the reins and placed her hands on her hips as she frowned at Owain.

Owain sheepishly scratched his head. "And your entrance was just as dramatic as I imagined!"

Lucina gave a chuckle before she clenched her fist in shame. That was twice when she had lowered her guard down, and it almost had cost her. She felt someone place a hand on her head.

"Relax Lucina," Owain said. Lucina smiled at the reassurance. "Besides, if you fall in battle I'll bathe in your blood as I make a vow to avenge you."

"Ugh," Lucina groaned as she slapped Owain's hand away and walked towards her sister. Owain's antics were endearing, but he did let it get to his head.

"Thanks for the save, Cynthia. I owe you one."

Cynthia grinned as she posed, not all to unlike Owain's pose from earlier. "It's my pleasure." Lucina gave a smiled in return, before turning to inspect the rest of the town.

The fires had died down, as Cynthia had used a large barrel of water to quench the fires from above with her Pegasus. It seemed like there weren't anymore Risen in the area, but Lucina decided not to lower her guard less she almost lose her life again.

After half an hour or so of scouting for remaining Risen, Cynthia helped guide the evacuating villagers back into their homes. Lucina's heart sank as she watched people grieve over the casualties of the attack. Some cried, some froze up in despair, and some threw up. Many of the buildings in the area were still intact, but some had partial burns, many were torn asunder, and a few had burned to the ground completely. It was a sad sight to see.

Lucina gripped her Falchion's hilt tightly. Risen attacks were always devastating and produced the same result: casualties, destroyed homes, and despairing survivors. But above all else, what infuriated Lucina the most was that she could've stopped them had she gotten to the village on time. The deaths were avoidable.

"Excuse me, uh Marth?" A voice came from behind her.

Lucina turned around to see the villager she had saved from earlier. She masked her frustration as she put on a blank face. "Yes, young man?"

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life…" Lucina's eyes widened as she realized he was on the brink of tears. "I thought all I wanted to do was die, but in that moment, I realized that more than anything I wanted to live." He went on his knees and clutched his hands together. "I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"I-I- uh," Lucina said, at a loss for words by the man's gratefulness.

"What she means to say is, don't mention it," Cynthia said as she slipped next to Lucina and held her hand out towards the young man. "And besides we're heroes; helping you is simply our job." She flashed a grin at the man, one he happily returned as he accepted her hand and stood back up.

"My actions were less heroic," Owain said in a dark tone a he clutched his left hand's wrist dramatically. "My sword hand hungers, and I'm simply a slave to its craving for Risen blood."

Lucina had to stifle a laugh as the young man's face contorted in pure confusion. "Don't mind my companion, he like adding a dramatic flavor to his battles." The young man gave a hesitant nod.

"Now then," Lucina began as she pulled up a crate filled with various sorts of weapons. Owain had brought it over. It was their backup plan. "These are for you and the villagers in-case you need to protect yourselves from the Risen."

The young man's eyes widened at the statement. "You mean we'll have to fight them?"

"Naga forbid you have to, but someday you might need to step up to be a hero for your neighbors," Lucina said.

The young man seemed to look down at the crate worriedly before giving an uncertain nod. "Are you guys fighting against the Fell Dragon's monsters?" he asked.

Cynthia grinned. "Nope, we're fighting the Fell Dragon himself."

The man's jaw dropped at the statement, but he managed to muster the words to say, "t-that's incredible!"

"One day, you won't have to worry about Risen attacks. Isn't that a nice thought?" Cynthia said.

The man looked at her confused, as if the notion that that was even possible was unlikely, but he put another uncertain smile on his face. "It is." And he began pushing the cart deeper into the village.

"Alright Cynthia, what was that about?" Lucina asked as soon as the boy had moved out of hearing radius.

"What?" Cynthia replied in an offended tone. "You're telling me that you don't think that's true?"

Lucina shook her head. "Of course not, but we don't really want to paint some false hope into the villager's heads. At least not until we find an actual way to beat Grima," Lucina said in a hushed tone.

"But a hero's job is to quell people's fears, right? I think that if saying that is all it takes to cheer them up in a world filled with as much despair as this one, then that's ok right?"

Lucina turned back to the young man, who looked to be talking to another villager. He looked in a much better mood after having had that conversation with them. She supposed Cynthia was right; even hope that was based off a lie was good. Because Naga knows the people of Ylisse needed hope.

**Owain**

"Aw man, mom's going to kill us!" Owain whined as he, Lucina, and Cynthia strolled through the courtyard towards to the entrance of Castle Ylisse. For Owain, normally the castle seemed large and fortified, but today it looked like a death trap.

Owain glanced around the castle, looking for some sort of escape. There were two guards equipped with spears flanking them and positioned around the castle's outskirts were even more. A chill rushed through him as he realized he had no chance for escape.

How his mother had found out that the three of them had escaped Ylisstol to scout the area for Risen attacks was beyond him, but they were in for the shouting of a lifetime. Mother had told them countless times that they shouldn't be recklessly heading into battles with the Risen, so it was no surprise that she had requested that they'd be taken to her quarters immediately when they were spotted re-entering the city.

"Calm down, Owain." Cynthia strolled forward with a grin. How was she acting so relaxed when her life was in danger?! "I'm sure Aunt Lissa will understand that the heroism booming in our hearts couldn't be locked behind the iron gates of home when there are people awaiting to be saved."

Owain resisted the urge to clap for Cynthia's well put words. Her heroism was improving dramatically. "Cynthia, are we talking about the same person?" He paused his walk. "She's the person who vanquished ghoul and spirits from haunting the Halidom of Ylisse for years, she single-handedly fought off a Valm invasion and lived to tell the tell…"

"I don't mean to impose Owain, but perhaps you should get to your point, you know Aunt Lissa doesn't like waiting," Lucina said with a small giggle at his antics. Cynthia frowned at the missed opportunity to hear more stories.

"Alright. Alright." Owain pouted before grabbing Cynthia by the shoulder and shaking her. "We're talking about the freaking Exalt! She's not going to let us off easily just because we're related to her." Cynthia took a few seconds to regain her sense of balance after the rough shaking.

"I suppose I'm mainly at fault here Owain…" Lucina frowned. "I was the one who convinced you to follow me out of town, so I'll take responsibility for this."

Owain placed his hand on Lucina's shoulder; he didn't want to see her get upset over something like this. "No, its fine. Mom will probably find a way to cheese me out regardless." He sighed at the thought. "And besides, on the blood of the exalt that courses through me, I shall never allow someone to take responsibility for my actions!"

Happy to see Owain back to his normal mood, Lucina smiled.

"Princess Lucina, Princess Cynthia…" Standing in front of the doors to the throne room was a figure that Lucina, Cynthia, and Owain were all too familiar with.

Sternly looking at them was an old man with brown hair slightly graying hair that was combed back. His face lined with a few small scars stressed his experience on the battlefield. He wore a light blue armor, a different variation than most Ylissian guards had, and gripped around his palm was a spear.

Owain stepped ahead of his cousins to approach the man face-to-face. "There is the man as ancient as Ylisse itself, yet still avoids the kiss of death from the reaper." Owain crossed his arms and smirked.

"Ah yes, Prince Owain…" Frederick said as if he were a passing comment. "I almost missed your theatrics while you were out on your little "excursion"."

So, Frederick knew about their little trip too? Owain's eye twitched. He bet Frederick was the one who ratted them out. "I too missed your presence, but alas the chosen mustn't become too complacent less they will find it hard to leave home for their destiny."

"Wise words as always, Prince Owain," Frederick dryly remarked, and Owain could hear the sarcasm spilling from the retainer's mouth.

Even after years and years of training with him, the old man never lost his distaste for Owain's heroism. Maybe Owain did use his heroic flavor of words and posed too often, but would it kill the guy to play along? And besides, his belief in being a hero was not just a theatric thing.

But as much as Frederick annoyed him, the man had trained all three of them when they were growing up and was his mother's personal retainer and advisor, meaning he was reliable for more things than most could say. Frederick had even been a member of the Shepherds, and he was one of the first too. So as much as Owain wanted to hate him, he couldn't. Frederick was a man who had earned his respect. Too bad the man was such a party pooper.

Cynthia giggled as she marched next to him. "Man, you and Frederick always have the funniest conversations."

"I live to please." Frederick bowed. A small smirk crossed his face before he tapped his lance against the door to the room. "Now then, Exalt Lissa has been expecting your arrival for quite some time now. Please enter."

The doors slowly swung open to reveal a room of exquisite design. A large portion of the room was a long walkway decorated by a brilliant light blue carpet with the brand of the exalt emblazoned on it, but at the end was a large throne where a beautiful woman sat. Her hair was a brilliant blond, with a few strands of gray curling around her left cheek. It stretched to her back. She wore a brilliant green robe over her royal attire. In her hands was a long, golden staff.

"Thank you, Frederick," Lissa said with a courteous nod. Her voice was soft, but it brimmed with the voice of a confident regent. "Please allow our discussion to not be interrupted."

Owain gulped as the door shut behind them and his mother's gentle smile turned into a frown of anger and rage. In that moment, any sense of a well-postured Exalt left his mother's demeanor as she stepped off her throne and approached them. Lucina, Owain, and Cynthia all stared at each other each with looks of panic before they faced back towards Lher awaiting their demise.

"How many times have I told you three not to leave the city without my permission!"

"But mother-"

"No "but mother" from you, mister." She brandished an accusatory finger at him. Veins were popping out from her forehead. "You know how dangerous the lands outside of the city is, it's hard enough protecting the citizens here without you running off and playing hero."

Owain bit his lip as he turned his gaze to avoid his mother's glare. It stung to hear his mother think he was playing a hero. He truly believed that it was – as well as Lucina and Cynthia's – duty to defeat Grima. The blood of the first Exalt who made a pact with the Divine Dragon Naga coursed through his veins, and Grima was like Naga's natural enemy. Owain's habit of speaking was – and he swore to never say this aloud – made up, but his desire and belief that he was a hero weren't.

"Owain, you're not a child anymore, you can't keep acting like some chosen hero who can go out and save the world."

"But mother-" As Owain was cut off, he realized there was no point in even trying to argue; it was always like this.

"What is you lost your life on one of those trips?" Lissa said, her voice softened, and Owain turned to face her once more. He felt any argument die in his throat as he saw the tears slip down her cheeks. "I just don't want to lose you…"

Owain's eyes widened and he glanced to Lucina who gave concerned shrugs. Cynthia motioned for him to wrap his hands around his mother and awkwardly, Owain embraced his mother and patted her on the back. "Sorry mom…" He wanted to add "it won't happen again", but he didn't want to make a promise with her that he knew he would break.

It was moments like these that reminded Owain that even when his mother was performing her duties as the Exalt, she was still his mother, and she was only in her late-30s despite some of the gray hairs she was developing from stress. It made Owain feel like absolute shit when he thought about how stressful his mom's job as Exalt was, and he knew that leaving to fight risen made that stress doubly painful. After his uncle's death, she had been forced into the position of Exalt, and he was sure that was not an easy position.

After a minute or so of embrace, his mother settled down, and she returned to her seat at the throne. Her eyes were still red from the tears, but the frown she had carried the weight of a disappointed mother.

"Well then, explain yourselves." Lissa awaited their response; her voice returned to the professional tone it had earlier, if not a bit shakier. She looked patient, but the three of them had known her for far too long; her patience would dry in seconds.

Lucina stepped forward and knelt. "Aunt Lis - No, I mean Exalt Lissa- I'm the one responsible for our endeavor. I shall accept any punishment you give me for this."

Owain opened his mouth to speak, but he saw his mother's eyes soften, and he paused.

"Lucina, something tells me that even if I do punish you, you will still go off to fight the Risen again." Lucina remained silent, but a smile spread across her face, a smile that didn't get unnoticed by Lissa. "You're so stubborn," Lissa sighed, shaking her head wearily. "I suppose you really are Chrom's daughter."

Cynthia shuffled uncomfortably at the mention of the name but remained silent as she continued to watch the interaction. Lucina remained silent for a moment before continuing.

"Exalt Lissa, if you may allow me to speak my mind," Lucina said.

"Very well. Lift your head."

"Thank you." Lucina stood back up. "The reason that Owain, Cynthia, and I are so adamant about fighting the Risen is that we truly believe that its possible to stop them. We just need to try. Excuse me for saying this but cowering behind the city's walls while the army tries to protect us from the Risen will not allow us to hide from the Fell Dragon forever."

Lissa hummed. "And what makes you believe this? Have you found the Fell Dragon's weakness?"

Lucina flinched. "No, but it's better that we try to combat his army, then to allow the Risen to continuously invade our lands, harm our people, and drive fear into our hearts." Owain and Cynthia gave fierce nods as they moved to stand next to Lucina in support.

Owain bit his lip as Lucina and his mother went back and forth for a while. It was always like this when they spoke. His mother wouldn't let him speak a word, but she'd let Lucina say what was on her mind. What did his mother see in Lucina that he didn't have? Did his mother think he was inferior to Lucina? He clenched his fist tight but remained silent.

He snuck a glance towards his mother's left hand where a light purple insignia rested. His mother's Brand of the Exalt, and the proof that she has Exalted Blood. Owain couldn't see it from his angle, but on Lucina's left eye was her Brand, something that had yet to surface on Owain. Then he looked at Lucina's Falchion, and the answer became obvious to him. She had the Brand and the Falchion… just like her father and the First Exalt. But Owain was just-

Owain's attention was dragged from his thoughts as he felt his mother's eyes glance towards him Owain and Cynthia before moving back to Lucina. She exhaled sadly. "I can't argue with that logic, but how can only three of you fight against an entire army of monsters, much less the Fell Dragon itself? The Ylissean army itself is already struggling to keep our borders safe and Risen still crop up around small villages even now."

Cynthia finally spoke up, balling her fists, lifting them up, and grinning. "That's why we want to venture across Ylisse and gather people who want to fight against Grima with us!" Passion flowed from her mouth as she looked up at Lissa with determined eyes.

Except for Cynthia, everyone's eyes widened at the statement. Owain flashed Cynthia a look that said, "you weren't supposed to say that", and in return, Cynthia sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

Cynthia had made two mistakes. First, mentioning their plan, a plan their mother would adamantly be against, was something the three of them had agreed not to share. Second, using the name "Grima" was something that most people took offense to. The name itself brought fear into the hearts of many. Some felt as though saying the name was akin to calling forth the dragon itself, while others felt as though saying his name in vain would call his wrath on them. Regardless, the name was something that couldn't be thrown around willy-nilly, and for a while the trio hadn't used the name either, but they figured if they were too scared of the dragon to say its name, then they had no right declaring they would defeat it.

Silence filled the room for a few moments, plunging the it into a tense atmosphere. She didn't like letting them leave the city on small excursion that would only last a few days, the chances that she would let them adventure across the entire continent with intentions to fight the risen were slim to none.

"I assume this is true?" Lissa asked as she turned her head back to Lucina, who hesitantly nodded in return. "Leave me to think about this."

**Cynthia**

Cynthia glanced between Lucina and Owain as a silence surrounded the three of them. Nothing too bad had happened, and it seemed like Aunt Lissa might be giving them a chance to make plans to fight off Grima, but that didn't stop how awkwardly tense the air between the three of them was.

Lucina looked to be in deep thought as she kept a fast pace ahead of them, not surprising as her sister tended to do things like this after the mention of their father, and Owain had a frown across his lips and followed them from behind.

Matching his pace and sidling next to him, Cynthia tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey Owain," she said.

"Yeah?" Owain didn't even spare a glance at her.

"Do you want to go check out the Shephard's quarters?" She tried and failed at trying to sound cheery.

"Yeah sure," he said as he adjusted his walk to take him towards a smaller building buttressed next to the castle. He glanced over at Lucina, who was still heading somewhere else. "Hey Lucina, we're heading over to the Shepherds' Quarters."

Lucina gave a firm nod, turning to follow them, and eventually passing them at her brisk pace.

Cynthia sighed as their walk to the quarters was quiet once more. Things were always like this whenever they had a chat with Aunt Lissa. Owain would be in a bummed mood, and Lucina would be lost in thought.

She couldn't blame them though. They both had their own reasons, but Cynthia hated when they would enter a somber mood, the world was already sad enough, and she wanted to spend as much happy time as possible with her two closest relatives.

If there was one thing that could fix the mood, it was the Shepherds' Quarters. The famous place where her dad and his companions would train, strategize, and relax in-between battles with Plegia, Valm, and the Grimleal. If there was one thing the three of them loved to talk about, it was the stories of the battles their parents had fought through. The stories of the "Generation of Heroes", or more specifically the Shepherds, never failed to fill Cynthia with awe and inspiration.

Lucina pulled out a key and unlocked the building's door and immediately a dusty smell filled their noses. Lucina cleared the air around her nose with a cough and entered, and Owain and Cynthia followed.

It was dark as the windows were boarded up, but a lit candle carried by Lucina revealed the interior inside. The furniture was old and worn, the floor was dusty, and the walls were filled with cobwebs. The entire place looked like it hadn't been used in years, and since the death of the Shepherds (besides Aunt Lissa, Frederick, and a few stragglers that Cynthia had never met) the place hadn't been.

Lucina strode forward past the lobby and to a room in the back, their real destination. She used her candle to light several other candles resting on a candelabra in the room. There were no furniture lining the simple, stone floor, and the room itself was rather small. The walls had nothing on them besides a plaque with the names of members of the Shepherds and a portrait frame with a beautiful illustration of all the Shepherds smiling happily. That art piece was drawn before the Fell Dragon had been resurrected.

Cynthia looked towards the center of the picture where a man with blue hair and the Falchion sheathed against his waist stood next to a beautiful woman with brown hair. She couldn't help the smile that reached her face. Her parents Chrom and Sumia.

"Father… Mother…." Lucina mumbled fondly.

Grabbing a candle, Owain brought it near the painting, causing Lucina to gasp. "Relax, I'm not going to burn it." He chuckled before moving the candle, allowing the flame to illuminate another section of the painting.

Aunt Lissa, who in this illustration looked to be around Owain's age, was holding hands with a rather flustered man who had short black hair and a katana sheathed at his waist. The man Owain had named his sheath after, and his father.

Cynthia broke the silence that had formed, "Hey Owain, do you think we're actually Chosen Heroes?" She often wondered at times if she could ever really be one. Especially with the fact that they were always restricted from fighting the Risen and stuck in the city.

Owain grinned. "I know it! Just look who our parents are." He pointed to several members of the Shepherds in the picture. "Your dad was the leader of the Shepherds and your mother was hailed as one of the best Pegasus Knights in Ylisse!"

Cynthia grinned at that as she looked from her father, to her mother, and back. She was working hard to become half as good a Pegasus Knight as her mother, but it wasn't easy. She was sure her parents would be proud to see the progress she made so far, but she knew she wasn't where she wanted to be.

Her attention moved over to the plaque next to the illustration and any sense of elation she felt vanished. Owain noticed her stare and followed it over to the plaque and he flinched.

That plaque containing the names of each member of the Shepherds, and next to most members' names were extra inscriptions. The days they had died.

Cynthia's eyes moved towards her father's name.

_Chrom_ |_ Shepherd Leader _|_ Killed in Action on July 8__th_

Then her eyes rested on her mother's name.

_Sumia _|_ Pegasus Knight _|_ Killed in Action on October 17__th_

Cynthia tried her hardest to hold her tears in, but she couldn't stop the sob that came from her mouth as she said, "But they di-"

"Don't say that," Lucina said, catching Cynthia off guard. "What makes you a hero isn't whether you live or die, but what you fight for. Mother and father will always be remembered for their bravery, and that's all that matters."

Owain nodded and Cynthia wiped away her tears as she stared at the illustration with newfound pride. Lucina was right, her parents had died fighting for justice and at the end of the day that was what made them heroes. Lucina always managed to say the right things, and her words always reminded Cynthia that she wasn't a heroine, not yet at least.

"And besides, we're just destined to finish what they started with Grima," Owain added as he grinned looking at the picture.

Cynthia's eyes looked between Lucina and Owain for a moment. Her sister and her cousin, and her role models If anybody were a hero, it was them. They were courageous, positive, and always worked for the good of the people. They had the making of a true hero, and everything Cynthia wanted to be.

Lucina caught Cynthia's stare. "Is something the matter?"

"N-No." Cynthia flashed a grin before turning back to the artwork.

It had been ten years since her parents had died, but whenever Cynthia saw a picture of them or heard their tales her chest tightened. The days when she would be able to play all day with her father and try (and fail) to cook with her mother were days she missed, but there was no time for playing anymore. With Grima inching closer and closer to Ylisse every moment, the only thing the world needed was a hero, just like the ones her parents were.

That was why she needed to go out and fight against Grima, no matter the odds. Her parents tried and risked their lives fighting to protect the world and died for it. Owain was right, they were heroes till the end.

So as Cynthia stared at her parents, mesmerized in awe and pride, she hoped that she would become a heroine as good as them someday, and one that would've made them proud.

**Lissa**

Lissa sighed as she stood up from her throne and lounged on a couch on the side of the room. That throne looked gorgeous, but it was a pain in the butt to sit in all day. She gave a loud yawn as she stretched in a manner an Exalt shouldn't, but she didn't care, the only other person in the room was Frederick and she had practically known that man her entire life; she had no reason to keep appearances up around him.

She did see a look of distaste run across Frederick's face, but she ignored it in favor of thinking about the previous conversation she had with Owain, Cynthia, and Lucina. The fact that they had snuck away from Ylisstol and had snuck past the guards she had placed to keep them in the city, wasn't something she was surprised about. With how often the three of them, especially Owain and Cynthia would run around screaming about being a hero, it was expected that they would try some stunt like that. But it still filled her heart with fear every time they did it.

"Frederick, do you think I'm being overprotective?" Lissa asked as she rested her chin on her hand.

From a few feet away, maintaining a knightly posture, Frederick replied, "milady, if you believe that the extent that they're being protected now is how they should be protected, then I do too."

Lissa rolled her eyes. Frederick's polite manner to her had only gotten worse when she had ascended the throne and became the Exalt. "Frederick, I'm asking for your opinion as my advisor."

Frederick gave a nod, and Lissa had to resist the urge to roll her eyes again. "Frankly, I believe your overprotection is warranted. The lands are scattered with danger. The Risen try to claim any land by bringing destruction and many people have turned to becoming brigands in order to make a living. Even now while the Ylisstol hold safe, many villages in the Halidom have fallen to them both."

Lissa nodded in satisfaction. If Frederick was agreeing with her, then she must be right. Besides, what he said was true, simply leaving the area right outside of Ylisstol exposed one to brigands and-

"But," Frederick began, cutting of Lissa's train of thought, "you must remember that Lucina Owain are of age, Cynthia will be Coming of Age in a few months. I have trained them since they were old enough to first lift a wooden sword, and since then they've made leaps and bounds when it comes to talent and skill. They are capable of fighting for themselves."

Lissa's eyes widened at Frederick's words. He was right, they were no longer the little kids that had to be wet-nursed, they were young adults and they had autonomy over their decisions. Doubt still filled her heart. "But Owain's my own son, and Lucina and Cynthia both are like daughters to me…" Lissa's voice gained a shaky tone. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost them."

Frederick turned his back to Lissa, likely thinking he wasn't entitled to see the Exalt in such a vulnerable position. "If I had a child to care for, I would feel the same way."

Lissa cringed at the words. "What do you mean _if?_" she said bitterly. "Don't tell me you've given up searching for him; she would never forgive you if you did."

Frederick kept his back turned to Lissa, and she could tell he did so on purpose. "I haven't." Frederick's usually stern voice dropped into a low somber tone. "It's been fifteen years, however. I'm simply being realistic." After a few moments where Lissa didn't speak on the matter, Frederick turned back around, his stern gaze maintained, if not faltered slightly.

"Also, Milady if you are asking for my advice…" Lissa's eyebrow rose. "You asked Princess Lucina if she knew the Fell Dragon's weakness, but if I am correct then you know yourself."

Lissa gave a whispered curse, and she could've sworn she saw a small smirk split across Frederick's weary face, but it vanished. Naga curse her for telling him to speak his mind. "The Fire Emblem," Lissa said, hushing her voice as the words rolled out of her mouth as if saying them itself were some divine incantation.

The sacred item that Chrom had attempted to use to stop Grima. And the same sacred item that had been used by the man who had killed Chrom and used it to resurrect Grima and plunge the world into despair. Lissa's hands gripped tightly against her staff as memories of that horrifying day.

"Frederick…" Lissa's voice was laced in anger. She grit her teeth trying to hold the anger in. "Do you think Robin is still out there?"

"Yes, milady," Frederick said. His stern face leaked just the slightest bit of anger that Lissa knew was boiling inside of him. "There's not a day that I don't regret not leaving him on the field that day or doing worse."

Lissa's knuckles had gone white against the staff. She didn't blame Frederick because if she _ever _saw Robin again, she would do everything she could to make him pay for the hell he had brought onto her and onto Ylisse. Because not even Naga would not be able to stop her rage if that were to happen.

**Lucina**

Lucina was surprised to be called back to the throne room so quickly, but she wasn't complaining as she, Owain, and Cynthia eagerly awaited Lissa's decision on the matter. Lucina found herself resting her left hand on the Falchion. It calmed her nerves. Regardless of whether her aunt let them venture across Ylisse or not, the trio had decided that they were going to leave anyway. Lucina found herself taking a page from Owain's book, their hearts couldn't allow them to stay safe behind Ylisstol's gates while the Fell Dragon wreaked havoc across the continent.

"I will be allowing you three to go and fight the Risen," Lissa finally spoke after what felt like an eternity of waiting.

Lucina, Owain, and Cynthia exchanged looks of elated surprise.

"On three conditions…"

The three turned back to her. Lucina felt her heart hammering in her chest. She didn't like the idea of going against Aunt Lissa's word, and now they were going to be allowed to do what pleased.

Aunt Lissa held up one finger. "Condition 1: You will be sending me weekly messages on your progress."

That was an understandable request.

Aunt Lissa held up another finger. "Condition 2: You will stay as far away from the Plegian Dynasty as possible."

That question was a no-brainer. Lucina had no plans for entering the heart of the enemy.

Aunt Lissa raised another finger. "And Condition 3: Frederick will accompany you."

"No!" A shout came in unison from both Frederick and Owain. The two men glared at each other before yelling again. "Don't you dare talk to her like that!" Both their eyes widened as they felt a deadly glare come from the throne, and immediately they bowed. Lucina shook her head, dumbfounded at their actions.

"If both of you don't stop bickering, no one is going anywhere!"

"Milady, if you will allow me to interject," Frederick said, still bowing. When no response came, he continued, "I do not feel you are safe without my presence." Lucina gasped as Frederick placed his forehead on the ground. "I failed to stop the assassination of both Lady Emmeryn and Lord Chrom, I will never forgive myself if I allowed you to die as well."

Lissa simply stared at Frederick before sighing. "There's one more thing I must tell you, however," She said in a deadly serious tone. "There exists one way to defeat Grima as far as I know."

Lucina's eyes – as well as Owain and Cynthia's – widened at the statement. Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest as she waited for Lissa to continue. This knowledge was huge; knowing a possible way to defeat Grima itself was something that could change the tides of battle. Also, Lissa was using the words "Grima" around them for the first time; that spoke magnitudes for the intensity of the conversation.

"As you know the First Exalt defeated Grima 1,000 years ago through the Awakening. Most of the general public knows that, but there's more to it than that. Long ago, when I was as young as you and Grima had yet to be resurrected Chrom, the Shepherds, and I traveled across the continent to find Gemstones that would be placed in this sacred object passed down to every Exalt."

Lissa stood up and tapped a few places beside the throne and it shuffled. The base of the throne shifted upwards revealing a column of stone. Placed on that column like a picture frame, was a golden shield with intricate carving and five circular slots the size of a large marble. One slot was filled by a silver gem.

"This is the Fire Emblem which the First Exalt used long ago, and the Hero King Marth used even longer ago. By collecting the Gemstones: Argent, Gules, Sable, Vert, and Azure, the Awakening ritual can be performed and Grima can be defeated."

Lucina found herself speechless at the revelation of the information. She was aware of the Fire Emblem usage during the Hero King's time period, but its usage to defeat Grima was something she had never heard of, but it made sense. The Fire Emblem was an incredible object created by Naga; the fact that a relic forged by Naga could be used to defeat to it shouldn't have been surprising, but Lucina was still shocked.

"But Aunt Lissa, why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Lucina said, and she couldn't stop the bit of anger that came from her mouth. "Why haven't we been using the Fire Emblem to defeat Grima already?!"

Lissa shook her head but didn't turn to face Lucina. "After Grima was resurrected, and the Fire Emblem was returned to Ylisse. We decided covering up all information of the relic regarding Grima was the best thing we could do, less it falls into the wrong hands once again. The remaining three Gemstones' locations are beyond my knowledge. After it was summoned, we made a mad dash to retreat and to ensure that the Fire Emblem never ended up in the hands of the Grimleal, we decided to separate the Gemstones in different locations." Lissa closed her eyes for a moment in deep thought. "I was too frightened to ever touch the relic again after the events that transpired that day. Please forgive me."

Lucina stared in confusion for a while, trying to allow her head enough time to process the revelations. "I'm sorry for my brash manner, Exalt Lissa." She knelt.

"Your anger is understandable."

Owain shook his head. "You said you don't know where the remaining _three _Gemstones arebut there are five of them, and one of them is right there."

"Yes. The location of the final Gemstone is well within my knowledge." She smiled at Owain's skilled perception at her words, before her face turned grim. "During that day, as we tried to escape Plegia with our lives, the final Gemstone, Sable, was taken by the Grimleal."

"So, if we're supposed to stop Grima we need to head right into the enemy's heart," Cynthia said with a look of terror.

"Yes." Lissa said nothing for a long while, and Lucina could tell she was giving them the chance to take it all in.

Cynthia, who at first looked incredibly hopeful at the prospect of knowing Grima's weakness, was shivering in fright. Owain was gripping his sword tightly in thought, and Lucina assumed he was just as terrified as she was. Because Lucina was scared. A sense of shame filled her body. How was she supposed to take on Grima if she feared the prospect of heading into his home base? The event should've been inevitable, but despite that mentioning it aloud terrified her very being.

The smile of the young man who Lucina had saved before flashed into her mind. A smile based on the chance of a world with hope. A world with a future.

But despite the fear… despite the knowledge that she would one day have to possibly stare Grima in the face as they took Sable, the knowledge that Grima could be beaten was enough for her because it provided hope, and hope was something they desperately.

Lucina, Owain, and Cynthia all looked towards each other and gave fierce nods. "We'll do it."

Lissa seemed to size them up for a moment before a look of pride flashed over her face. "Very well then, from today onwards I will be tasking you three with the objective of assembling the Fire Emblem and defeating Grima."

Just those words alone were enough to send Cynthia and Owain into a cheery mood as they grasped each other's hands and chanted, "We're gonna be heroes! We're gonna be heroes!"

Cynthia and Owain forced a giggling Lucina to join in and jump with them, and Lucina did – an action that filled her with a childish joy she hadn't felt in a long time -, but she couldn't swallow her pride to chant with them.

"Settle down there is one more thing I must say," Lissa said as she stifled her own laughs. "For the time being I must keep the Fire Emblem."

"But if we're supposed to assemble it together, shouldn't we keep it with us?" Cynthia asked.

"Normally, yes, but you will potentially be braving Risen and Grimleal-filled lands," Lissa said before the grip on her staff tightened. "If – and Naga forbid this happens – you fall in battle with them, we must assure that the Fire Emblem remains safe in Ylisstol"

The trio nodded, understanding the gravity of their task. The possibility that they could die was something Lucina was aware of being a reality.

"But to mark this momentous occasion, I Owain Dark shall christen our team!" Owain posed, eliciting a giggle from Lucina and Cynthia, and a groan from the other two. "From hence force we, the fighters joined in arms against the Fell Dragon, shall be known as the Justice Cabal!"

The only sound that encompassed the room were the sole claps of an elated Cynthia who cheerily clapped. Lucina, Aunt Lissa, and Frederick's jaws had dropped in shame.

"Cousin Owain, if you will allow my opinion. I think another name would suit us better," Lucina said, and all eyes in the room turned towards her.

"Very well, Owain Dark shall allow you to choose a different name."

Lucina nodded as she took a deep breath. The name to pick was obvious. "From today onwards we will strike fear into the hearts of our enemies and hope into the hearts of our allies with the utterance of one simple name. Chrom's New Shepherds!"

It seemed hope was something that hadn't gone extinct after all.

**A/N: And if you haven't realized there are quite a few different things in this AU compared to Lucina's future/Future Past. I will be pulling things from what is known from the games, modifying things, and even adding my own elements.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	2. Weight of the World

**Chrom's New Shepherds- Chapter 2: Weight of the World**

**A/N: The continent "Ylisse" will be referred to as the "Ylissean Continent", and the nation Ylisse will either be referred to as the "Halidom of Ylisse" or just "Ylisse to avoid confusion.**

**Lucina**

"Maybe we could head towards Ferox? It seems like a pretty safe place to me," Cynthia said as she points where Regna Ferox on the map. The nation had a huge chunk of territory in the northern portion of the Ylissean Continent.

Lucina, Owain, and Cynthia stood in the back room of the Shepherds' Quarters pouring over a map of the Ylissean Continent. It was just as dusty and dark as when they had been in their earlier that day, but a few candles had cleared up the latter issue. They were trying to work out a course of action. So far, there was nothing pointing them in one certain direction, especially with the fact that the other Gemstones' locations were unknown.

"Ferox wouldn't be a bad place to search." Lucina nodded at the suggestion.

Regna Ferox, or now dubbed by many in Ylisse, "The Final Bastion of Hope", was a nation that had managed to hold strong against the Plegian Dynasty since Grima's resurrection. In the past ten years, the Plegian Dynasty (which was previously the Theocracy of Plegia) had taken 40% of Ylisse's territories, mainly Ylisse's southern side and a small portion of the western one. Through a battle of attrition, their Plegia had managed to advance towards into Ylisse's territory slowly but efficiently as they dwindled the Halidom's supplies and military forces. Ylisse had been forced to retreat further in less they be swallowed by Plegian forces, allowing Plegia to move in and take their territory. Even now. Plegia pressured their borders, something which never failed to scare Lucina. How long could Ylisse hold until it would crack under the pressure?

Regna Ferox, however, had fared differently. In the past ten years, they had only lost 5% of their territories and had continuously made strong efforts to push Plegia away from their lands with successful results. As such, many refugees of Ylisse, whose homes were destroyed by the Grimleal or Risen, had fled north towards Ferox for a safer shelter. It stung Lucina that her country's people were forced to flee to a different nation for a chance at a better life, but she was happy if they were safe. Communications with the country had stopped though. Ferox had adopted an isolated policy within the last two years, effectively stopping trade with Ylisse in their greatest time of need, but the country still accepted refugees at their borders.

"A destined encounter awaits us in the Dukedom of Themis, however," Owain said, dramatically slamming his finger onto the dukedom's space on the map.

"A destined encounter?" Lucina and Cynthia raised a brow.

"Indeed. An individual we know very well takes solace within the city." Owain took his finger and slammed it onto the picture of the Shepherds. It landed on a girl with blonde hair coiled into two pigtails. Resting in her hands was an umbrella which was opened to block the sunlight from touching her.

"Duke Maribelle?" Lucina pondered for a few second before she smiled. Duke Maribelle was good friends with Aunt Lissa, and as such, Lucina, Owain, and Cynthia had met her several times when they were younger. She was kind, if not incredibly strict and uptight when it came to the proper etiquette of a noble, and Lucina remembered that many times she tried to force her teachings into their minds. She also had a son – Brady was his name, if Lucina's memory served her right - but she never got to talk to him much as he was a shy kid, however, that didn't stop Owain and Cynthia from trying to play with him. "Owain, that's an excellent idea; she was present when Grima was resurrected, so she might know something about the location of the Gemstones." Happy to be praised, Owain posed with a grin.

"So, our plan so far is to head to Themis?" Cynthia sighed. "I mean we'll get to see Brady again for the first time in years, but what if Duke Maribelle doesn't know anything and we're back at square one."

Lucina brows furrowed. "It's not like you to be so pessimistic about things."

"Yeah, but this quest might end up taking forever; I just want to kick Grima's butt now!" Proving her impatience, she tapped her foot on the ground and pouted.

"I think we all do." Lucina chuckled as she sat next to Cynthia and rubbed her sister's shoulders to comfort her. It didn't suit Cynthia to be in a bad mood. "Anyway, the faster we leave, the faster we can find those Gemstones, so let's start preparing for the journey."

"A-Actually," Owain said, catching their attention. Lucina's interest was piqued as she realized that he wasn't using his theatrical accent. "I think it'd be better if we just relax around town for today and then leave early tomorrow morning."

Lucina scanned Owain's face for some hint at this being a joke. He was kidding right? When she didn't find any, she crossed her arms. "Owain, I disagree. We should be leaving to defeat Grima as soon as possible. Every minute we stay here, a band of Risen could be attacking a village," Lucina said. What was he thinking that made him think lounging in Ylisstol was a smart idea? Besides, they had wanted to go out like this since their parents had died. Lucina hoped he wasn't having second thoughts on the quest.

"I know, but it's just… this is really sudden, and we're not going to be back home for a while, so I thought maybe trying to have a little fun before we embark on our epic quest might be nice." Owain shrugged his shoulder and nervously smiled.

Lucina shook her head with a displeased look and turned to her sister, expecting some support in the matter. "You agree with me, right Cynthia?"

"Actually, I think Owain might be right."

"You just said you wanted to take Grima down as fast as possible," Lucina said in disbelief.

"D-Don't get me wrong, I do." Cynthia placed her hands up and waved them in self-defense. "But I think Owain's right, the moment we step out of Ylisstol there's no turning back or stopping. One last day to have fun in town may be alright."

"The second we step out of town any semblance of our innocence vanishes in the shadow of our grand task at hand." Owain's voice had returned to his accent, but Lucina could still hear the seriousness in his tone. This must've been important to him.

Lucina looked between both her sister and cousin in disbelief. They knew her sense of humor was poor – though Lucina never wanted to admit that aloud - but they wouldn't joke about something this serious. She bit her lip as she tried to think about their perspective; she supposed they had a point, and she would miss Ylisstol while she was gone.

She gave an exasperated sigh. "Alright, but only tonight, and we leave by sunrise tomorrow morning." She couldn't help the small smile that had crossed her face as she saw their faces mouths split into grins.

Owain and Cynthia exchanged a high-five as they said in unison, "Another victory for the Justice Cabal."

"I thought we decided our name would be "Chrom's New Shepherds"?"

"Oh, it is," Cynthia said playfully.

"But we decided a sub-group of CNS would be the Justice Cabal!" Cynthia and Owain did two ridiculous poses that Lucina found she couldn't help but blush in shame at. She loved them to death, but they acted too silly for their own good.

"Do you wanna join?"

"I-I'd rather not, sorry."

**Lucina**

The streets of Ylisstol were quiet, but that was the norm these days. Gone was the hustle and bustle of the city as crowds of people gossiped, chatted, and laughed about their daily lives. Now the streets were filled with crowds of people who remained silent or merely whispered too each other. There was no fun and there was no laughter.

But Lucina tried, and horribly failed, not to dwell on this as she, Owain, and Cynthia walked through the streets. It was just hard to ignore the despairing faces of the villager. Some of them would look around them cautiously or make sure that no one was following them behind their back as if they had assassin after them. Others kept their heads hidden under cloaks as they briskly walked towards their destination, not stopping to mingle with anyone else and minding their own business. And worst of all, the soldiers who had been injured by the Risen while at war. It wasn't hard to miss the bandage-wrapped, crutches-carrying, or amputee people who walked by. They were the less – though still – fortunate who had survived Risen and Grimleal attacks. She could see it already, soldiers dying on the battlefield as they tried to protect their homes, innocent civilians being destroyed by the waves of Risen, the sc-

"Lucina?" Cynthia said, catching Lucina's attention.

"What is it, Cynthia?" Lucina said, trying to feel the discomfort she felt from those thoughts. She wiped a bit of sweat from her brow.

Cynthia's eyes narrowed. "You zoned out right when I was getting to the good part of my story?" She pouted, and Lucina was glad Cynthia hadn't been onto her earlier discomfort.

"Sorry about that, I promised I'll hear it out another time," she apologized. She laughed as Cynthia grumbled about having just gotten to the good part in her story. "Anyway, where exactly are you taking me."

Owain flashed her a grin. "Our fated destination is one you know where well, but alas one must keep some secrets!" His loud voice drew the attention of the much quieter passing civilians. And suddenly, Lucina felt her discomfort return.

The civilians stared at Lucina, Cynthia, and Owain with ire and enmity. There were no warm smiles or grins that Lucina remembered receiving while growing up. The civilians were stressed with taxes thanks to the ongoing war efforts, not to mention that their loved ones had to be sent to war to fight (no conscriptions had been done yet, but Aunt Lissa mentioned that with how low numbers had been dwindling it might be necessary). Lucina was certain that the only reason no riots or revolts had started was because they feared the Risen would attack them while their guard was down.

Not only that, but Naga worship had shown a drastic decrease in participation. At first, when Grima was resurrected, there was only a small number of people saying that Naga was a terrible god for not saving them, but soon it was many people. Shrines had been abandoned or worse, desecrated by unhappy civilians, and at the same time crime inside and outside the city had increased as people turned towards worse endeavors to make a living. And the saddest thing was that Aunt Lissa was taking all the blame for how poor Ylisstol had come.

Ylisstol had become a shadow of its former self.

Lucina shook her head as she ignored the persisting glares. She tried to remind herself that she was trying to have fun. Not get depressed and feel an urge to leave the city as soon as possible was what she wanted to avoid.

The sound of shuffling coin filled Lucina's ears and she looked below to find a child holding out a hat filled with a few pieces of gold. He looked bony and gaunt, and his clothes were tattered and dirty. A beggar and a young one at that. Lucina didn't even want to imagine what the slums district of Ylisstol looked like now.

"Here you go kiddo," Cynthia said as she placed a few coins of gold into the hat. The boy smiled and thanked her before running towards an older woman who looked just as poor. The lady smiled before replacing the warm look with a glare when she seemed to realize who had given them the and Lucina gave a reassuring smile back. It was then that a look of recognition washed across the lady's face and her smile was replaced with a resentful glare.

"L-Let's just keep going," Owain hastily said, and the trio increased their pace through the streets. People parted to allow them to pass, and Lucina was certain it was not out of respect for them being nobles.

The rest of the walk to wherever Owain was taking them was silent, which didn't help Lucina's thoughts, but she tried her best to not get distracted. When they arrived in front of a shop that she remembered all too well, she couldn't help but blush.

"The Hero-King's Wardrobe?" She said flustered as she looked around, hoping no one was paying attention to her. "How old do you think I am?"

"Old enough to get your "Marth" butterfly mask from this shop," Owain said mockingly with a snicker, and Lucina's blush only got brighter. "Worry not, I completely understand your loving admiration for the heroes of old."

Lucina felt a felt betrayed as she watched Cynthia burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, but that secret was way too funny not to tell Owain."

Lucina's eye twitched as her face remained a scarlet shade of red. That's the last time she told Cynthia anything; she swore that that girl had the biggest mouth ever. But even Lucina couldn't help but laugh at the silliness of it all. It was a little silly that she had bought a prop to disguise her identity when fighting the Risen, but the Hero-King meant a lot to her. He was a shining beacon of justice and protecting one's loved ones, and a role model that Lucina felt everyone could learn from.

"Well," Lucina couldn't believe she found herself saying this, "are we going to head in or what?" Lucina yelped as Cynthia pushed her inside the store.

But as Lucina entered the store, there was no flowing rush of nostalgia to her senses, simply sadness. There was no huge line of kids hoping to buy Marth figures, capes, or prop Falchions. There was no chatter that filled the shop's usual excited air. And there was no one here at all. It was quiet and desolate. The shelves were lined with props so dusty that the props looked like they hadn't been touched in weeks and Lucina felt like she was watching a piece of her childhood was vanishing.

The sound of sobs coming from the clerk's counter caught their attention and they immediately rushed to see the commotion.

Owain looked towards them in apprehensive confusion as they saw a woman who looked to be in her early 20s sobbing into the countertop. Owain bent so that he was at eye level with her. "Excuse me ma'am. Is everything alright?"

The woman shook her head between sobs, having not seemed to realize who she was talking to. She held out a letter to them as she tried to wipe her eyes with a handkerchief, only for more tears to stream out. "M-My fiancé…"

Lucina hesitantly grabbed the letter from her hand and gulped upon realizing that it was addressed from the Ylissean army. Lucina felt her stomach drop as she realized what it was. It was the letter sent to those who had family members or significant others who had passed away on the frontlines.

And then it happened again. Images of Risen cutting through people, creating a chaotic world of screams as people tried to scramble away filled her mind without warning and Lucina felt any positive feeling she had drain away. Something like that was happening right then at this moment and here she was trying to have fun. Lucina bit her lip before she dropped the letter and rushed out of the room, not stopping at the protesting sound of her sister and cousin.

**Cynthia**

Cynthia sighed for what had to be the hundredth time since she and Owain had split up in the city. She supposed that Lucina must've been right when she said they should've left Ylisstol as soon as possible, maybe then she wouldn't have ruined her sister's mood. She felt guilty for dragging Lucina into the city, likely against her will, but she wanted to have some fun with her sister and cousin for one more day. She found it hard to remember what the last time was when they had a ridiculous amount of fun was. It had to be ten years ago, before Grima had been resurrected. Back when her parents were still alive.

Even then, Ylisse was at war with Plegia, but mother and father still found time to play with her and Lucina. Cynthia supposed she never knew an Ylisse at true peace. Ylisse had been warring with Plegia since before she was born. She thought she read somewhere that it had started when her aunt – her name was Emmeryn or something – had been assassinated, although she had died before Cynthia was even born.

Cynthia's thoughts were scattered as she finally reached her destination, the Ylisse stables towards the city's borders. It was late and the sun was already halfway into the horizon, but Cynthia wasn't surprised to see the caretaker, Laurine, tending the Pegasus and horses.

Cynthia tried to muster as much cheeriness she could into one bright grin. "Hey Ms. Laurine."

Laurine, a brunette woman looking rather young for her old age, turned from grooming one of the Pegasus to Cynthia. She frowned, noticing the smile on Cynthia's face. "Alright sweetie, you can't fool me. What's the matter?"

Cynthia sheepishly smiled as she approached the lady. "I never can fool you, can I?" Cynthia looked towards the ground in shame as she balled her fist. "I think I made Lucina mad. We're leaving on a quest soon, and Owain and I decided that we should spend the day having fun instead of getting ready and leaving immediately."

"Hmm. That's it?" Laurine simply asked as she placed a hand on her shoulder sassily. She looked tired from a long day of tending to the animals, but demeanor showed a fierce lady ready to speak her mind.

"Huh?"

"Look Princess," Cynthia wasn't sure whether Laurine was referring to her title or if it was some nickname. "You did what every younger sibling wants to do with their older ones, have some fun, and if Princess Lucina can't appreciate that then it's her problem."

Cynthia nodded, a tad uncertain that she truly believed Laurine's words. Even if it was her duty as a younger sibling it didn't make her feel less guilty for it. Lucina was her sister after all, and if she wasn't happy then Cynthia couldn't force herself to be. Besides, it was a hero's duty to make someone happy. She was a failure as a sister and a hero.

She was so consumed in her thoughts that she didn't see the broom in Laurine's hand fly towards her face until it smacked her. She grimaced as she rubbed her forehead "What was that for?!" she whined.

"If you have time to sulk, you have time to clean Belfire's droppings, and besides if you're leaving on some grand quest don't you think you need to tell her?"

"Oh crap!" Cynthia said as she picked up the broom and scurried into the stables. She had completely forgotten the real reason she came here. She was going to tell Belfire about what was going on, and she was going to be give her a good grooming before she went to sleep for the night.

Cynthia opened one of the stable's stalls and a horrid smell of animal feces made her want to vomit her lunch out. She pinched her nose. 17 years of being around Pegasi and horses and she still couldn't stand the smell. "What have we been feeding you, Belfire?"

Standing in front of Cynthia was the best dang Pegasus to ever be bred in Ylisse. She had rich, clean white feathers, sturdy strong legs, and stood healthy and happy. Belfire lifted her head before neighing in response and moving to the side of the stall to reveal a fresh pile of Pegasus dung. With all the grace needed in such a task, Cynthia swept up the dung and dumped it into a bag before throwing it away. When she came back, Belfire approached her and rubbed her head against Cynthia's chest.

"I'm happy to see you too girl, but it's only been a few hours since I last saw you." Cynthia giggled as she pet Belfire's head. "Now get into position!" Cynthia stood up straight and as tall as possible, and Belfire mimicked the position, stretching her wings out as wide as possible in the stall.

"A hero's duty is to fight for justice, protect the innocent, and most importantly..." Cynthia took in a huge breath of air. "Laugh in the face of evil." She gave a hearty laugh and Belfire followed with a unique, segmented neigh. This was the ritual they always did before she rode onto Belfire and before she began grooming her at night. Cynthia always thought a courageous sentence like that suited her Pegasus. She was a confident and proud Pegasus, no doubt formed from years of experience on the battlefield as Belfire used to belong to Cynthia's mother.

A smile crossed her lips as she began using the brush to set Belfire's fur which calmed the Pegasus down tremendously. Cynthia remembered always begging her mother to have a chance to ride on Belfire when she was younger, and the first time she did it was even more magical than she thought it would be. The feeling of the wind rushing past her hair and that gravity no longer constricted you blew her socks off! And even now that feeling was the best rush in the world. Her father was so proud of her that day.

That had begun her training to be a Pegasus Knight, although fighting was something she absolutely hated, and she had gotten into a tantrum when her mother had told her that if she wanted to ride a Pegasus, she would need to join the army. But if that was what see need to get that rush again, she would do it, and she would make her parents proud all the same.

And so, Cynthia and her mother began building a spear that would one day protect her in battle. Cynthia almost brushed too Belfire's fur too roughly as her thoughts drifted to it. The spear, to this day, was incomplete. Mother had died in battle before it could be finished with only the spearhead being done. That spearhead found use in her current spear as she had gotten a town blacksmith to add it onto the shaft of another spear. Owain had told her to call it "Sumia", but Cynthia felt an incomplete weapon shouldn't be named after something so precious to her.

The world wasn't fair. Heroes weren't meant to die right? It was always the bad guys in the stories that lost after the hero won a hard-fought battle. But they had gone and died anyway. Cynthia took a chance to breath. Her parents were heroes anyway, just like Lucina said. And someday she would too, but not that one that would be mourned at the end of the fight. The one that would be victorious on the top of the hill.

Belfire licked Cynthia, something she usually only did to comfort her, and Cynthia sighed at how transparent she was. The disadvantages of being so peppy all the time was that it was easy to see when you weren't.

Heroes weren't meant to be such downers though. They were supposed to be shining beacons of happiness just like her mother and father were to her, so she grinned, mustering as much happiness as she could. "I'm fine girl," Cynthia said. "Anyway, I need to tell you something." Belfire stopped her licking at the serious tone. "We're going to be fighting against a lot of Grima's forces soon. It's going to be dangerous. Do want to come?"

Belfire took the position that she and Cynthia had done before the grooming and gave the same unique neigh from earlier.

Grinning, Cynthia pet Belfire's head. "We're gonna be heroes, right? We got this."

**Owain**

"Sacred Stones!" Owain shouted as he held his blade in reverse grip, jumped in the air, and span to giving a spinning slice across the torso of a training dummy. Owain groaned in annoyance as he realized the cut wasn't as strong as usual. He was off his game. Usually he would've made some remark like "has my sword hand's thirst vanished?" but no one was around to hear him and after what happened back in the city, he didn't feel as enthusiastic.

He sheathed his katana and placed it on a bench in the vicinity. Owain was in the area he usually had trained with his father in. He gave a wry chuckle as he remembered the time, he almost cut his father when he swung a katana one time. His father had been very disappointed in his inability to control the weight of the sword or the power of his swings. Controlling the sword was Owain's main problem, which is where he had dubbed his infamous "sword hand". Back then, Owain thought that his troubles must've stemmed from some unnatural bloodlust in his sword hand, but his father didn't buy it of course and dismissed it as Owain making excuses.

When they trained together it was always like that; his father was strict but calm. He would get irritated when Owain messed up a sword stroke or failed to remember a practice drill, but instead of yelling he would make Owain work harder until he perfected it. It annoyed Owain to no end, but he followed his father's instructions regardless because in the Shepherds no one had mastered the katana quite like his dad had, and Owain wasn't going to disappoint him. Back then he vowed to become the best swordmaster ever, even if it meant one day defeating his father in a duel.

They never did get a chance to have that duel.

Owain picked up his sword, unsheathed it, and set it down so that he could focus on the sheath, Lon'qu, named after his father. He thought it was rather fitting for him to name the protector of the sword after his father because he always felt like his father was protecting him. Everyday his father went on the battlefield he was fighting to protect his wife and his son, and he died doing just that.

A sad smiled graced Owain's lips. His father found always found it hard to show emotion through words, but his actions were worth a million of them. Owain was proud to be his son.

And soon enough he would be genuine hero. When he was younger, through stories of legend and of the Shepherds, he learned that to make a difference, you needed to be a hero. And it was during Lucina, Cynthia, and his meeting with Mother that he realized what he lacked compared to Lucina, Uncle Chrom, the Hero-King, and tons of other heroes in the history of the world. No matter what legendary hero he would read about, they would have some sort of legendary weapon that marked them as a champion of justice. Compared to heroes of legend, he paled in comparison, and Owain was even certain that Lucina herself would one day go down as one as well.

The marking of a hero had to be some legendary weapon, and in Lucina and Uncle Chrom's case that had to be the Falchion and the Brand of the Exalt. But Owain had neither, and until he obtained one, it was impossible for him to be a hero.

Which was why somehow during this quest, Owain would obtain one, and then his mother would truly recognize him as someone worth respecting as much as Uncle Chrom, the Hero-King, and Lucina. Until then, he was someone who could only dream of being as strong as Lucina.

"Your senses are dulling, Prince Owain," the sound of Frederick's condescending tone drew Owain from his thoughts. He quickly sheathed the sword before turning around a wry frown placing itself on his lips. Frederick raised a brow; Owain noticed he snuck a glance towards his katana before he turned back to him. "Aren't you supposed to be in the city spending your final moments before your journey having fun?"

Owain's frown sunk even further as he remembered the events from earlier. "Don't even mention it… Lucina totally hated every second of it."

"Well I don't find that very surprising. Princess Lucina has always maintained focus of her goal in sight without letting herself get distracted. Are you surprised that she didn't enjoy herself when she is ready to leave to try and save the world?"

Owain didn't even need a second to think about his answer. "No." In all honesty, Owain wasn't surprised. Lucina had always taken responsibility for many things, she never took detours, she never procrastinated – something which Cynthia and Owain did lots – and she never took a break from what she was attempting at times. Owain just wished she wasn't so focused. It couldn't kill her to have fun every once and a while. When was the last time she had unbridled amount of fun with them, or just relaxed with them? "Is it too hard to just have some fun?"

Frederick shook his head. "When I was far younger, I would say no," Frederick said, causing Owain to raise a brow in interest. Frederick's eyes glazed over in nostalgia. "Back when I adventured across Ylisse with Lord Chrom, I always had to keep him focused on the task at hand, but he and Exalt Lissa would always find some way to stir some trouble." He chuckled. "I remember one time Exalt Lissa was so hungry that Lord Chrom and I had to venture into the woods and hunt for game. The day ended with all of us covered head to toe in bear dropping with Exalt Lissa having slain the beast."

Owain laughed as he tried to imagine Frederick covered in poop, oh he wished he was there to see that. Surprisingly, Frederick seemed delighted that Owain was laughing.

"What I'm trying to say is that you will have tons of fun on your adventure. Troubling times lie ahead as well as fun one too, so you shouldn't fret too much."

Owain nodded with a grin. It sure was surprising to hear something so casual come out of Frederick's mouth. Sure, he was condescending and sarcastic at times, but he was always formal. Hearing him casually talk about his misadventures with Uncle Chrom sounded like he was reminiscing about good times with an old friend, and he supposed Uncle Chrom was good friends with Frederick. Owain liked this side of Frederick.

"Thanks Frederick."

Frederick bowed as he turned to walk out. He paused just before he exited the room. "Do try not to let your so-called "dramatic heroism" get you into too much trouble."

Owain smirked. Frederick never changed. "And you better keep my mother safe, or my sword hand may find you as a tasty snack."

**Lucina**

"Hah!" Lucina bellowed as she practiced a sword stroke. She repeated it. Everything about her swings had to be perfect, her form, the strength she put behind the blade, and her resolve. She was in the forest where her father had taught her how to use the Falchion, and she had taken every lesson to heart. She wondered if he thought his death was some pre-ordained event. Was he training her so that she knew the basics of using the Falchion so that she could inherit his quest the day he died? Or was he genuinely excited to have his daughter begin learning the ways of the Hero-King and the First Exalt? Some part of her deep inside was glad she didn't know the answer.

Upon thinking of the Falchion, her thought moved upon what Aunt Lissa had told her earlier that day.

"_What do you need of me?" Lucina said with a bow. She was filled to the brim with anxiousness now that the group had learned of a way to defeat Grima, and all she practically had to stop herself from running out the door as soon as Aunt Lissa had dismissed them. That was until she had called Lucina into a private meeting._

"_There is two more pieces of the puzzle to the Awakening rite," Lissa said, and Lucina's eyes widened. Why didn't she say this earlier when Owain and Cynthia were present to hear? "It requires the Fire Emblem, all five Gemstone, and a person of Exalted Blood, and finally, the Falchion."_

_Lucina stared at the blade buckled against her waist in shock. She suddenly felt the magnitude of the situation blow up in her face. She alone wielded what was necessary to defeat Grima._

"_You may be wondering why I decided not to tell Owain and Cynthia this." Lucina hastily nodded. "But that is because I worry for Owain's sake if he was to learn of this. For so long he has desired to become a hero of legend, but I worry that he doesn't understand what it is that makes one. If he were to learn of the Falchion's usage in the Awakening, he may seek out some legendary weapon to prove himself."_

_Lucina nodded, uneasy at Aunt Lissa's words, but accepting them, nonetheless._

"_I decided that the less ears that hear this the better, but…" Lissa pointed a finger towards Lucina. "You and you only carry the responsibility to make sure the Falchion can be used for the Awakening ritual. I know you're capable of it, but if you fall in battle, Owain and Cynthia will be the only ones able to perform it in your place. When the ti-"_

"_That won't be necessary Exalt Lissa," Lucina said, holding out the Falchion in front of her. "I'll make sure they won't even have to worry about it."_

Her thoughts shifted back towards how abruptly she had ran off from Owain and Cynthia. It was rude of her to run out, but she promised to apologize as soon as she could. It was just hard for her to have fun. She didn't have the luxury to be sitting around relaxing because every minute a group of Risen could be terrorizing villagers or worse, Grima itself could be approaching Ylisstol. Fun had been something she couldn't have, it would be selfish of her to want something so precious when millions of other lost their lives to Grima's monsters.

Every time she allowed her heart to be at ease, her mind would be struck with the screams of those who had fallen to the Risen, the horrified look on their faces they had as they were torn asunder, and the feeling of despair which always simmered in her thoughts. They haunted Lucina as if they wanted vengeance for her being allowed to live a life protected behind the walls of Ylisstol Castle while their lives were put at risk everyday just by existing. And the glares from the commoners proved this point; the times where the Ylisstol noble family were graceful figures was a thing in the past. Exalt Emmeryn was seen a peaceful figure who had died a tragic death to the hands of Plegian assassins, Exalt Chrom was hailed as a hero who died fighting for them, but Exalt Lissa, Lucina, Cynthia, and Owain were nobles who tried so desperately to hide behind the castle while the people were put into armies to hold the Risen at bay. Lucina didn't blame them for their resentment, if she were one of them, she'd just as like as likely hate nobles too.

And that was just two of the reasons why she couldn't allow herself the pleasure of even a bit of relaxation. Every minute she lounged was a minute that could be used to get closer to defeating Grima or getting stronger for the fated battle. What would her father think if he saw her wasting her time? And so, Lucina felt shame at even allowing herself to be dragged into town by Owain and Cynthia. By no means did she blame them, in fact, she thought their point was just, but she alone had to bear the responsibility of defeating Grima.

She had realized the full extent of her responsibilities in that moment. It was she who carried the Falchion, meaning it was her duty to focus on defeating Grima, and the older one between the three of them it was her duty to allow them to have the fun she couldn't possess. She would ensure that they would never have to worry about taking the Falchion in her place, such an important weight would only be a burden to them. And so, she promised that she would never let them worry on her behalf, and she would do that by carrying all their responsibilities.

Any semblance of innocence she had had vanished the day that her father had died.

The sound of rustling leaves caused her to snap into a defensive stance and point the Falchion in the direction of the rustling. "Whoever's there come out, I know you're there."

An exasperated sigh came from one tree branch and a figure dropped from it. It was an older man with wild, orange hair that looked like it hadn't been combed or cut in weeks along with a chin that had stubby, orange hair. In his mouth was what Lucina assumed to be a lollipop – not surprising considering the person who was in front of her. "I see your senses are still sharp, Blincess." The man grinned as he casually waved. Lucina wasn't surprised to hear him using her nickname either. Apparently, it was a combination of blue and princess.

"I see you're still sneaking up on people, Gaius, and it looks like you haven't gotten any better," Lucina said, scowling as she turned away from him and continued her sword swings.

"Awww come on don't be like that, you know that's my job," Gaius said as he sheepishly scratched his head. "Besides I brought some souvenirs from my little trip." He tossed something from his pocket into her hand and she quickly caught it.

She bit her tongue to stop the smile from coming on her face as she noticed it was glasses, specifically the ones with round eyes slots, a large nose, a hairy mustache, and hairy eyebrows. Her favorite. She never had the time to buy these, so she was a little grateful that he had gotten them for her. She pocketed them. "Alright," Lucina said, not able to stop the happier tone in her voice. "What do you want?"

"Why would I want something? I'm finally back from my little trip, and I can't even see my favorite princess without her thinking that I want something?" He said in what Lucina could obviously tell was faux hurt.

"Last time you were here you said Cynthia was your favorite." Lucina smirked as she watched Gaius stumble to find an excuse.

"Alright, alright, you got me there, but seriously I just came to check up on you. Freddy already told me that Little Miss Exalt is letting you go out and fight Grima." He leaned against the tree.

"Yeah. It took a while, but we finally got her to cave in," Lucina said, scanning Gaius over. She always found him to be the quite the enigma. He was laidback, carefree, but serious all at the same time. She wondered why Aunt Lissa hired him to be a spy and informant for her, but she was sure he had more than enough skill to excel in those jobs and then some. Not to mention he was a former Shepherd, meaning he was very trustworthy. "Anyway, how'd your "little trip" go." Lucina hadn't stopped swinging her sword as she continued the conversation, but she had given him more of her attention.

"As great as Grima-land can get, anyway. The Grimleal have pretty much conquered the entirety of Valm at this point, there's only a portion of land towards the north-western side of the continent that hasn't been claimed and even then, they're hanging on by a thread. And most dissenters to Grima's rule have been slaughtered or worse." Gaius swiveled the lollipop in his mouth in frustration. Valm was the closest continent west of them.

Lucina flinched. That was the worst-case scenario. "So, are they going to make a full-fledged assault towards Ylisstol or turn their attention towards Regna Ferox?" She could feel her stomach drop. Now that Grima had a whole continent's army on its side, what was stopping him from just sending waves and waves of Risen and Grimleal towards Ylisse or Regna Ferox and conquering them in one fell swoop? The size of Grima's army seemed infinite to her now.

"Well two things. First, there's some resistance group going against the Grimleal in Valm." Gaius' look changed to one of complete interest at the topic he was explaining. "It's the freakiest thing I've ever heard of. They show up, stir up some chaos in the Grimleal army, and then they disappear without a trace. They claim to be "Naga's Army", their leader is some sword-wielding chick named Say'ri. And get this, rumors claim there's some dragons in her army." Gaius' voice was filled to the brim with pure excitement, she assumed he was dying to tell someone this. He paused for a moment allowing her to digest the information. "If you're ever in need for a change in scenery maybe you should check the place out."

Lucina's eyes widened. Manakete hadn't been seen in centuries or easily a millennium, so hearing that was astounding. In Lucina's rather extensive studies on the Hero-King – done for reasons she didn't want to say – she had read that the Hero-King had allied with a few Manakete.

"Second, it seems like Grima's halted his advances for some reason. I can't tell for sure, but it seems like he's waiting for something to happen before he does anything else. He sent some Grimleal officers to subjugate the Valmese, but that's it, no mass destruction or sacrifices or anything." Gaius bit through his lollipop and cursed before he pulled another one out of his pocket. "Would you like some Blincess? A pal of mine smuggled some across Feroxi borders." He didn't wait for her to speak as she lobbed one stick over.

Lucina stared at the lollipop in her hands, giving an exasperated sigh at hearing that Gaius still had connection with less clean suits of work. For a thief, he made it seem like the underworld was some place where a person could go to quench their sugar tooth, but she was sure it was anything but that. "It must've been hard to sneak this out, Ferox's only been letting people in, not out."

Gaius nodded. "Yup, and it cost me a fortune to get it, but I must say," he sucked the lollipop and a grin spread across his face, "it was worth it."

Lucina shook her head with a laugh. "Anyway, if Grima gives us enough time to find the Gemstones then we're at the advantage but hearing that it's pausing its advance through the continent is foreboding." And Lucina shivered to think about what could possibly make Grima stop. She gave a silent prayer to Naga that it wasn't something ominous, but she knew something must be behind it. Still, hearing that its assaults would lessen for even a short period of time, settled her heart somewhat.

"Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out the reason, but no luck on that." Gaius casually shrugged as if knowing the reason didn't matter much. "Anyway," he placed his hands in his pockets, "I have a date with Little Miss Exalt, so I'll be on my way."

An idea quickly formed in Lucina's head. "Wait Gaius!" She asked in haste, knowing that usually when he left, he did it with quick speed and in the shadows. "Do you know of the location of any of the Fire Emblem's Gemstones?"

"Gemstones?" He scratched his stubble in confusion before he snapped his fingers. "Oh, those things that Blue collected back then?" Lucina resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Gaius' nickname for her father, and she nodded eagerly. "Nope. No clue."

Lucina sighed. Well, it was worth asking.

"But that reminds me," Gaius said, causing Lucina's attention to completely focus on him. At this point her focus on her sword had vanished. A scowl spread across Gaius' lips. "Wipe that look off your face. You remind me of Blue and Blondie so much that it hurts." Blue was her father, but who was Blondie?

"I beg your pardon?" Lucina blurted.

"It's the final day before you start your grand quest. Shouldn't you be having fun with Browncess and Mr. Chosen?" Gaius asked, referring to Cynthia and Owain.

Lucina frowned and upon realizing that she wasn't swinging her sword, she continued her training. "I'm quite busy, if you can't tell."

"That's the look," Gaius said with a groan. He rubbed his temple in irritation. "Would it kill you to have some fun every once and a while?" he said with irritation seeping through his voice. If he noticed, it didn't seem to bother him

"I can't allow myself to spend time lounging when the world's at stake," Lucina simply replied, swinging a little harder with the Falchion.

"Man, that's what always annoyed me about Blue and Blondie." Gaius placed his hands on his hips as he gave Lucina a stern glare. Lucina found her grip on her sword tightening. "Blue was always so focused on defeating Grima that at times I thought he was obsessed with it, especially before that day happened. I really thought he was going insane during those final days…. It seemed like all he and Robin would talk about was stopping Grima, and then he died just like that…" Gaius's tone had turned somber, but it still sounded critical.

"I'm sure I wasn't the only one in camp who thought he had gone crazy."

Lucina roared in anger as she brandished the Falchion towards him. "I will not allow you to insult my father! He's more of a man then you'll ever be." She glared at him with the intensity of the sun. "Instead of sticking to the shadows he fought to protect you and everyone in Ylisse and he died for it. Don't dare call him a maniac." Lucina found herself taking deep breaths as she held the sword out. She hadn't expected to raise her voice so quickly, but she didn't care. She wouldn't let anyone insult the person she looked up to most. She dared him to say something else!

"You don't get it do you?" Gaius shook his head in annoyance. "You know I was there when Blondie died." He had turned his gaze towards the ground, his hands had trembled, and the lollipop had fallen from his mouth, now coated with the dirt on the ground. "I saw her get assassinated. And you know what she said with her final breath?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "She said she regretted that Ylisse and Plegia couldn't have found a way to live in harmony!" Gaius' voice exploded in volume, and suddenly, Lucina had realized who "Blondie" was. It was her late aunt, Emmeryn. "Nothing about how she would miss her family or loved ones, but instead it was about some stupid war! I don't think I'll ever understand how people like you all can focus so much on some greater picture that you forget about the people you care about most!" His voice cut through the area like a sword.

Lucina lowered the Falchion as she realized that Gaius was crying. Tears were free falling from his face, and he couldn't hold the sobs in. Gaius was trying to teach her something, and that this topic meant something far more serious to him than she could understand, but she was still angry at the way that he was talking about her family, and in her anger, she said something she didn't think through.

"Instead of whining, maybe you should be grateful that you don't have to bear the responsibility that we have to," Lucina said apathetically, practicing her sword swings. The swings were rough and lacked any grace, but she ignored that.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Gaius glaring daggers at her through tears. "You're just the same as her then huh?" he spat. Lucina gave no reply. The sound of Gaius' usual stealthy footsteps were loud and uncaring as he stormed away.

She wasn't sure who the "she" Gaius was talking about was, but in her rage, Lucina didn't want to know, nor did she care. She didn't spare him a glance as he walked away clear as day.

**Lissa**

Lissa hummed as Gaius finished his briefing on his mission in Valm. She shuffled uncomfortably in her seat as she pondered on what exactly could cause Grima to stop his advances towards Ylisse's borders. It just wasn't right. It was planning something, but what? She sighed as nothing came to her mind; she would just need to worry about it on another day. A strategy meeting with the war generals would be suited to deal with the matter.

"Thank you, Gaius, your skills will aide us tremendously," Lissa said and brightly smiled at him. She always did like visits from Gaius, the two were good friends, and she desperately needed someone she could act casual around. It sucked that he was so adamant that he needed a mission at all time now; Lissa genuinely missed his presence.

"Don't mention it, Exalt Lissa," Gaius said, and Lissa shared an apprehensive look with Frederick who stood next to the throne. Gaius wasn't referring to her by her nickname. Something was up.

"So, are you going to say what's on your mind, or what?" Lissa asked as she moved into a rather comfortable on the throne that was far from noble-like. She didn't really care. Following noble stature was always Emmeryn and Chrom's things, and she was talking to a friend anyway.

Gaius chewed on his lollipop a bit before sighing. "Just got a lot on my mind."

Frederick beat Lissa to the punch. "And would that have to do with the whereabouts of your daughter?" he asked, and Lissa flinched at how blunt Frederick was. His stern face masked many emotions, but his curiosity and annoyance at the topic were apparent. Lissa had a feeling this wasn't going to be pretty.

Gaius crunched on his candy. For a split second, it looked like he was going to spit out the empty stick onto the ground, but instead he pocketed it before placing a jawbreaker into his mouth. "And if I am?" Gaius said bitterly.

Frederick shook his head and more annoyance seeped out of his demeanor. He had changed over the past years. He still was stern, pragmatic, and collected, but he would allow other emotions to show up much more often now, he would make jokes every now and then, and he would even act sarcastic around Owain – likely because he treated him how he would treat his own son – and Lissa. Back when Emmeryn was on the throne, he would've never done that. It was a side of Frederick that Lissa had so desperately would've like to see when she was younger, but she was certain it would only cause trouble now.

"I've provided my matter on the opinion, but I will say it again," Frederick seemed to glare daggers at Gaius. "Making amends with her and trying to be involved in her life is what you should be doing. Not skulking her in the shadows."

"Why does everyone have a bone to pick today?" Gaius sighed before he glared right back at Frederick, and Lissa a chill run down her spine. "Her life's far better without me trying to force myself back in. She's a mercenary now, and quite a good one at that. She grew into a fine young lady without me being in her life. She simply doesn't need me."

"I know more than anyone that you probably do want to have a part in your life. Lying to yourself is not going to help you in the long run," Frederick said, and Lissa felt the empathy mixed with anger radiating from his voice. "What any parent wants is to be there with their son or daughter, and you are nothing more than garbage if you lie to me that you don't want that."

Gaius stared into Frederick eyes, seemingly unaffected by the glare. "That's the thing though, I'm a damn good liar," he said somberly as he turned his gaze to the ground. It was silent for a moment before he turned to Frederick. "Besides don't you have _your own _things to worry about besides worrying about my family life?"

As Frederick's face seemed to contort into pure rage, Lissa slammed her hand down on the throne which seemed like the only thing would've stopped Frederick from slamming right into Gaius and beating him to a pulp.

Lissa was angry. Why couldn't these two just get along? It was always like this when they brought up Gaius' daughter. Frederick would get angry at the fact that Gaius was purposely choosing not to partake in his daughter's life, Gaius would say he should mind his business, rinse and repeat. Lissa understood where Frederick was coming from. The man had lost his son to slaves fifteen years ago and wouldn't like anything more than to just be able to see his son again, but to see that Gaius, who was fully aware that his daughter was alive and well, choose to not re-enter into her life angered him.

She couldn't imagine what it felt like to be in their position. Sometimes she felt like Owain was the only thing keeping her together. First, she had lost Emmeryn, and she was devastated beyond belief, but she had met Lon'qu, got married, had Chrom walk her down the aisle, and soon she was pregnant. That was the most chaotic part of her life, and she was sure that she had cursed out Chrom and Lon'qu far more than necessary – hey, they deserved it for almost mixing up Owain's name on the birth certificate – but she wouldn't trade it for anything. Owain was her baby boy no matter how old she got. But then she had lost Chrom – her grip on the throne's arm rest made her knuckles grow white – and then Lon'qu died. Just like that the two men she loved the most in her life was gone. With the stress of the war, the people turning against her, and the strict taxes she was having to put in place because of the war, she wasn't sure if she could handle living if something were to happen to Owain.

She tried to blink the tears away, and she noticed that in her silence, Gaius and Frederick had bowed down in front of her in shame.

"I apologize, milady," Frederick apologized.

"M-Me too," Gaius said, albeit awkwardly.

She shook her head as she called for them to rise. "Gaius, please just think about it? I know you and Cordelia didn't end on good terms, but what would she think about what you're doing."

Gaius simply nodded, his face growing somber, before he looked at Frederick. "Hey Freddy, I'm sorry about saying that. That was pretty fucked up to say."

Frederick shook his head. "It is alright. I suppose I must stop prying into your life."

Lissa beamed at the two glad they had made up. Out of the original Shepherds, there was only a handful of them left, they shouldn't be fighting with each other, they were practically all they had left.

**Lucina**

That next morning, the walk to the front gate was filled with a tense silence as Lucina, Cynthia, and Owain walked to the front gates of Ylisstol just as the sun crested over the horizon. Each hadn't talked to each other since their trip downtown yesterday, but Lucina was burning with a desire to say something. It didn't feel right for everything to be so tense when it was just the three of them.

"I'm sorry," Lucina said as she tilted her head to the ground in shame. "You guys just wanted to have some fun, but I completely ruined it."

"Nah, it's my fault. I should've never suggested the idea in the first place. We just ended up wasting a bunch of time we could've used for other things," Owain said as he fiddled with his katana.

"Well I…" Cynthia struggled to find something to say. "Well I didn't do anything, but I feel like I'm the problem too."

Lucina gave a wry chuckle. "Well we can't all be at fault, right?"

Owain shrugged. "Well you know what they say about a family take the blame for one another."

Cynthia raised a brow. "They stay together?"

"They're forever fated to be tied by the invisible forces of destiny till the end of time!" Cynthia giggled, and thinking that she had missed the point of the joke, Lucina gave a fake laugh as well. "Anyway, I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun during our adventure!" Owain exclaimed. A passion-filled fire burned in his eyes. Cynthia grinned and Lucina couldn't help but smile too. Their energy was infectious.

_Maybe… _Lucina thought. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she could have fun with the weight of fighting Grima on her shoulders, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. Did she deserve to have fun when others died in despair, not knowing what it was like to have hopes and dreams any longer? She didn't think so, but she wouldn't let Owain and Cynthia worry about her. This was her problem and hers alone.

Speaking of which, a part of her had wanted to apologize to Gaius for what she had said yesterday. She realized it was rude and uncalled for. Deep down, however, a part of her didn't want to because of what he had said about her father, so she was slightly glad that she wouldn't have the chance to apologize.

When they finally arrived at the gates of Ylisstol they were met by Lissa and Frederick who greeted them with smiles, even one from Frederick. He handed them their backpacks, filled with the essentials they needed to survive in the wilderness for a decent few weeks. They all laughed as Cynthia complained about being degraded to a pack mule.

Belfire's caretaker brought Cynthia her Pegasus who seemed eager to do their morning motto and pose.

"Well safe travels," Frederick said as he bowed to them. "Prince Owain, Princess Cynthia… try to not to cause trouble."

"We'll try our best!" Cynthia said, giving him a mock salute.

Frederick turned to Lucina and a smirk appeared on his face. "Princess Lucina, please ensure that they get out of said trouble." Cynthia's face contorted to a look of horror.

"Owain Dark is a magnet for trouble, but as all heroes find a way out, I shall too!" He grinned as he looked at Frederick. Said retainer rolled his eyes as he let out what Lucina thought sounded like a joking sigh.

Lucina smiled brightly and nodded. "I'll try my best Frederick."

"Lucina is not going to be my babysitter!" Cynthia pouted.

Lucina bowed at Lissa after stifling her laugh. "Thank you for everything, Aunt Lissa."

Cynthia bowed as well. "Uhm… we're grateful for you treating us like your own daughters," she said awkwardly trying to copy Lucina's polite tone.

Owain walked forward and placed his hands on his hips, coughing in his hand to get everyone's attention. He entered his usual accent as he spoke. "Well mother, from today forward, I'm no longer your baby. I'll be a full-fledged adventurer now. An adul-"

Owain's speech was cut off as Lissa rushed forward, grabbed him by the ear, and yanking him down so that he was eye level with her. "What was that?"

"N-Nothing," Owain said with a gulp after several "ow" s of pain.

"That's what I thought." And she pulled him into a hug. "Owain, you've grown into quite the capable man, but please know your limits." Her voice was soft and fragile.

Owain stood in shock for a few second before he sobbed into his mother's embrace and returned the loving gesture. "I-I'll try," he said between sobs. Lucina and Cynthia smiled at the interactions. These were the precious moments that they wanted to protect.

From between Owain's arms, Lissa looked at Lucina and Cynthia expectantly and beamed. "Well are you two going to join in or what?"

Lucina and Cynthia turned to each other in shock before they nervously rushed forward and joined the hug. Shedding a few tears of their own as the four of them embraced each other. It was truly in that moment, that Lucina as well as Cynthia and Owain appreciated how good of a mother figure Lissa had been to them

"I love you all so much," Lissa said as she cried into their arms. "Please…" she begged. "Please stay safe."

They all nodded fiercely through teary eyes. This was their one small, but happy family, and nothing Grima could do was going to tear them apart.

After leaving one another's embrace and sharing a few final goodbyes. Lucina took the first step out of the gate followed by Owain and Cynthia.

There was no turning back now. Come hell or high waters, they would survive it all. They would defeat Grima and restore the hope that had been lost in the lives of many. And they twouldn't stop their fight until Ylisse – no, the world – knew true peace.


End file.
